The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-04
MEDICAL COLLEGE.
Ausplsisus Opening OF the Eighth
Annual session Yesterday.
Learned Address by Dr. r. J. Crof-
fore, Dealing with Various
Phases OF Evolutton.

SION yesterday morning, with about
seventy five students, and prospec 0
for largely increased attendance AIT
tering. They came from nearly every
southern Safe, betokeniBs the just
celebrity gained by Tho cole 9 during
past years Of Ito existence. Tho open.
Dg address was delivered by D.. r.
]. CroaJrd, professor Of physiology,
a5 follows;
rWB ADDRESS.
History means al sccouut OF past
events, and may be written alpha.
belioally or geographically, or Il may
DO legendary. These are necessarily
oil a comparative recent date and
present but limited part Il tho
worlds real existence, but geology
comprises a number OF cycles Of time,
compared with either one OF which
our oldest Institutions, whose crumbled
ruins are now barely discernible, are
but creations Of yesterday.
"One Of the greatest difficulties In
understanding geology and evolution
Is TO get the mind 10 appreciate the
very great length Of lime that has
elapsed and 10 understand, while he
views evsnescent things and con.
templates his own ephemeFal eIiet-
ence, that nature never burries nor
recks the time Of building, but moves
on in one ceaselese procession, slowly
evolving the higt or from the lower.
"Rep. eientatlys vegetable and ami.
NAL species that have come into the
world and gone out like guests at q
tavern have registered their presence
upon the rocks that were then form.
Ing; the earth has kindly sealed them
mp, and now we have preserved In
books OF stone souvenirs OF oil the
ages, and today the scientist Ia read.
ing this record with n precision aud
certainty that inspires us with graft.
tude and admiration.
"We 20 back 10 q time when tho
earth was still warm from her fsrmer
molten state, and perhaps q thorsless
ocean suTged her circumference round,
and hot ard noIious vapors rendered
even vegetable life impossible. for we
And no evidences until about the close
oil this long period known a. archian
time: now We see faint traces OF veg
etable life, not trees with cherry bios
SONS and leaves, not forgetmenots
and sweet scented Tosee, but ferns,
lichens and cryptogams creep siealthily
out OF chaoe, and ask permission 10
live. After awhile We hnd evidences
OF low animal life, not quadrupeds
with nimble leap or fowls with fair
plunage. but proiCsla crawling out OF
the bosom oil nature, praying the
angry elem ents not 10 stifls the n, for
life 10 sweet even thus early.
Then, after q long period OF walt
ing and weaving, We see evidences OF
q higher order Of animals and trees
with deciduous leaves, but lonely were
their boughs, for birds are far In the
future; bat In the course Of time they
come, and animal life, which has been
gradually ascending the scale Of de.
yelopment, now throngs the woods.
But man II yst away In the dis
lance. The sound Of his voice Ia
significantly absent. The fullness Of
time has not yet arrived. Night
would have been made 10 him
awful by the angry roar Of the
beasts OF prey; by the pathetic bleat
oil the victim; by the hiss Of the poi.
sonous serpent, and by the weird
hsgh OF the restless hysna. Aud the
winds moan through tho leaves OF the
trees, a sad and whiliul moan, and the
iourneying tropic storm, which year
alter year was heard signing In the dis
lance, seemed 10 sing a IN eral dirge
over natures sterile efforts 10 bring
man out u chaos, but God has In.
voluted aud nature must evolute.
Ut has been many imrs demon.
strAted that the change In the envi
Tonments VI any animal will ptOdue,
anatomical and physiological changes
In 10 organism. Hunter kept q SCI
gull In captivity 90 that II could only
obtain n grain diet; the result wa tina
the stomach OF the bird, which was nor
mally carniverous, was changed Int,
the ordinary 4 Erard OF the gain feed
ing fowl. Pigeona have been fed mp
on q aeshy dict with the effect o
Transforming the grain grinding gIE
ard into q cuniyerous stomach, AM
parrots have been noticed 10 chang
their color when fed npon the lat 0
certain fishes.
"rhese marked changes hsya takeI
place simply from q change In diet 70
short while. How much greats
would II be II kept mp and associate,
with n change Of climate, tempcratuT,
AID environments generally Tor LON
periods o. time'
marine animals are changed b,
pressure, by ocean currents and b.
light. In fact, a,mOsl Gll olioum
stances are now known 10 gradual,
exert an u nuence upon living organ
lam, and the innuenoe OF enyiro amen
has become an established doctrine O
science. Even the popular mind ha
been struck by the adaptation O
nearly all 10 their habitat, for exam
pie, In matter Of color: the sand
hue OF the sole and aounder, On
white Of the polar bear, with II
suggestion OF arctic SHOWS; th
stripes OF the Bengal tiger, 90 II IN
actual reeds Of its native juugle ha
printed themselves upon ib hide
these and a hundred others whicl
will occur 30 every one, are marke
instances OF adaptation OF environ
ment, Induced by natural selection Q
otherwise i1r the purpose. obyiousl
In these cases, a. least, OF protection.
"rbus Il will be readily uudeutoo
bow the plastic pro E,n, ny being sol
afAitd and sub ecled 10 the char ges
enyif eventually gave Iise /
the different species. Ihefe 10 q
effort Ina ~ life 20 live In oofreepon,
ence 10 iis environments, and " N
environments cannot be- changed N
life NUT
81, SCENE that the life or splf
principle permeatoa oil nature an
builds up ilr ilSoll 81 organism 10 "a
Ia surroundings The most ungainl
grolti qu9 form from the dark caves I
the oos IN, which causes usto shudd,
an u vTiibee and tquifms In I've mort
hatoiulnoes, whom viewed In corr,
epondence with Ia environments b
comes \ thlrg Of scientific beaui.
Whom We study natlon 4 unde
stand their surroundings aud coutit